01-26175. Newspaper/Radio Cross-Ownership Waiver Policy

AGENCY:

Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:

Notice; termination of proceeding.

SUMMARY:

The Commission terminates this proceeding because it has initiated a new rulemaking proceeding that considers broader issues that subsume those raised in the proceeding being terminated.

DATES:

The Commission terminates MM Docket No. 96-197 effective October 18, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Eric J. Bash, [phone] or [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Commission began this proceeding in 1996 when it released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) 61 FR 53694 (October 15, 1996) in MM Docket No. 96-197. The NOI asked whether the Commission should change its policies regarding waiver of the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule for newspaper/radio combinations. The Commission now has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), 66 FR 50991 (October 5, 2001), that asks whether the Commission should eliminate or modify the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule. As a result, the NPRM seeks comment not just on whether the Commission should change its waiver policies for newspaper/radio combinations, but also on whether the Commission should change its rule and/or waiver policies for newspaper/radio and newspaper/television combinations. The issues raised in the NPRM therefore subsume those raised in the NOI. As a result, the Commission terminates the NOI proceeding. In doing so, the Commission recognizes that it has, in a handful of cases, waived the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule, subject to the outcome of the NOI. All such waivers will now be subject to the outcome of the NPRM.

Ordering Clauses: The Commission terminates MM Docket No. 96-197.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.